Monday, 23 February 2026

Double Denim



Hello! Thanks so much for all your well-wishes, after last week's dental trauma, Jon's healing well and he's almost back to normal (although he won't be eating crisps for a while yet!)

 Be afraid, be very afraid...I've developed a denim fixation! It all started when this vintage 1970s Falmers* denim waistcoat popped up in my Vinted feed*. 

*The brand Falmer still exists, it was acquired by the high street chain, Matalan in 1998 and became "Falmer Heritage". The original Falmers was always made in Great Britain (unlike the contemporary brand).

Longtime followers may remember how I lived in my last waistcoat,bought in the early 1990s and worn on repeat until it fell apart just before Covid. 

Here it is in 2015, taking the train across Karnataka.


Here is is in Coorg....and at Chowpatti Beach in Mumbai, a year later! 

And at Camperjam in 2011

I'd tried ever since to find a worthy replacement but the two I'd bought from Vinted were (despite being listed as XS) were way too big so I resold them. I did find a H&M waistcoat in a charity shop a couple of years ago and although it looks okay, there's no comparison with wearing vintage. After I bought my Falmers waistcoat the seller messaged to warn me that it was ridiculously small but when it turned up, it couldn't have been more perfect (30" chest - just my size!)


On Friday, whilst rummaging through the rails in the Sue Ryder charity clearance shop after swimming, amongst the tatty fast fashion this gorgeous vintage Laura Ashley maxi skirt caught my eye, not any old velvet but silk velvet, no less, and fully lined, too! I'd left the house wearing something different but, for my nail appointment, I decided to get changed and wear it immediately. 



Charlotte, my nail technician, loved the colour so much she decided that I needed nails to match.


If you use Vinted, you'll know all about its scarily accurate algorithim. Once it had detected that I liked 1970s denim it decided to recommend these Free People Jayde bellbottom jeans.


I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to jeans sizing but at £9 (they retail at £108), I knew I could relist them if they weren't right...but they were! I don't think I've ever worn comfier jeans! 





I love them so much that I wore them the following day, too - embracing the double denim by wearing them with my Levi's puff sleeved blouse, bought in the end of season sale three years ago. High waisted jeans are so flattering, I look like I've got curves! 





I had a wardrobe rethink last weekend, listed my rejects on Vinted and sold the lot in a couple of hours....a fraction of the funds went to buy more goodies, don't you just love the circular economy? 


And, of course, vinted keeps recommending more stuff it thinks I'll like! This Levi's Type 1 Iconic Trucker jacket was released as a limited edition in 2003 and doesn't pop up very often. It was £8. It's such a great fit and the 1970s styling is fabulous. 


And the seller from whom I bought my Free People jeans offered me a second pair for £6, it would have been rude not to! 


Following on from my last post, regular reader Elizabeth who usually likes the same tv series, films and books as I do, recommended Poker Face (as does the ever reliable Guardian), which we started watching at the weekend...


Three episodes in and we're well and truly hooked! A cool mash-up between Murder she Wrote and  Columbo, Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) plays a woman with an innate talent for detecting when people are lying and travels across the USA solving murders. Charlie leads a hobo-type existance, living out of her very cool 1969 Plymouth Barracuda and dressing in 1970s rock chic thrift shop style. That hair!!! Other than Glass Onion, we've not seen Natasha Lyonne is anything else but she is incredible in this and Russian Doll is already saved to favourites when we've watched both series.  

There's endless articles about Charlie's wardrobe online but I think this is the best I've read. 

I'm off to meet Nikki in Birmingham tomorrow, stay tuned for tales of our adventures!

8 comments:

  1. I'm glad Jon's dental stuff went well and he is on the mend. Funny, I still managed chips (crisps) very soon, why I need to not have them in the house. I love a good denim jacket and vest. I'm once again not in a happy size for jeans, but once bike weather comes, I should work my way back into the perfect paid I bought preloved three years ago.

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    1. I'm amazed Jon hasn't had any crisps yet! Mind you, he's managed chips, pizza and biscuits so I don't think its far off!
      Good plan with the cycling, once the weather's better what with your new knee there'll be no stopping you! xxx

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  2. I do like a denim waistcoat too. I have a few in my watchlist, I really should plump for one. I do struggle with sizing though because of my bust, I have to size up and then the waist is baggy! High waist jeans are universally flattering, I hate jeans that cut across the middle of my hip! Xxx

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    1. I wouldn't worry about a waistcoat doing up over your bust as long as you can do the buttons up at the waist, it'll look fabulous! How I used to wear those lowrise TopShop Baxter sknnies back in the early 2000s I'll never know, I spent most of my time hoisting them up! xxx

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  3. My dentist cancelled this morning! Can't fit me in again until 27th April!!?? Had a very sleepless night thinking about going and now got to do it all again come April!Die-hard hippies would avoid Falmer like the plague back in the day!!Levi and Wrangler were the mode of choice! I did however like the Falmer Heritage knitwear latterly sold by Matalan. You look great in your waistcoat and the velvet skirt was made for you.I love wearing my denim jacket in the summertime even in my advancing years!!xxx

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    1. Oh no! Talk about prolonging the agony! My last two appointments have both been cancelled, luckily its only for a check-up, it must be vile to have the threat of an extraction looming!
      When I was a teenager there used to be a stall on Walsall market that sold early 1960s deadstock "Cowboy Fit" Wranglers for £1.25 - I loved mine to bits. I always thought it was Wrangler and Lee that were the ultimate jeans (along with Lois), I didn't think Levi's became trendy until "that" 1985 laundrette advert with Nick Kamen (RIP)!
      My mum used to wear super-flared Highlight jeans, I think they were from Richard Shops! xxx

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  4. Poker Face sounds right up my street - downloading episode 1, series 1 right now. Thanks, x

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    1. It's so good - I absolutey love it! xxx

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Lots of love, Vix